Myst Academy
by AngelaMay234
Summary: A lot of couples meet by accident, let's just hope it doesn't end that way.
1. Chapter 1

_I'm not normally one for fantasy, so I'm not really sure where this idea came from, just think of it as a little experiment._

* * *

"Hey, Retsuko, you remember how we met?" Haida turned his head to smile at the red panda lying in the grass beside him. Retsuko laughed.

"How could I forget? It wasn't exactly uneventful."

She'd had her nose buried in her Enchanca when she'd wandered into the gymnasium, just in time for the punching bag he'd been practicing with to fly across the room, nearly hitting her.

_She screamed, ducking to the floor with her arms over her head, the heavy bag crashing against the wall before falling over on the floor with a thud._

_"Oh my God!" a spotted hyena sprinted to her side, looking terrified as he dropped to his knees. "Please tell me you're okay!"_

_She sat up, leaning back as she caught her breath._

_"Yeah, I'm fine," she laughed a little, sounding almost hysteric. "But what _was_ that?"_

_He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck._

_"It's a strength spell," blue violet sparks enveloped his hand. "I'm still trying to get the hang of it."_

_The magic faded, and he helped her to her feet._

_"I don't think I've seen you around before, I'm Haida."_

_She straightened out the blue skirt of her uniform._

_"My name's Retsuko, it's my first day," she gasped. "Oh no…"_

_She grabbed her Enchanca off the floor; the holo-screen had shattered, several of the buttons cracked or loose._

_"My mom told me to be careful with it," she started tearing up. "What am I going to do?"_

_She sniffled, swiping at her face with her white sleeve. Haida stammered, waving his hands frantically._

_"I'm sorry! Please don't cry!" he gulped. "Maybe I can fix it for you!"_

_She looked at him, her eyes still wet._

_"Really?"_

_He blushed again._

_"Yeah," his voice cracked, he cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah, I'm kind of a tech wiz, and it's my fault you dropped it in the first place."_

_He got to his feet, one hand shoved in the pocket of his sweats as he jerked his thumb toward the arched doors._

_"Come on, and maybe I can show you around the dorms later."_

They laughed again. It had taken him almost all night to fix that thing, but her reaction had made every hour worth it.

_"Oh, Haida," she beamed at him. "You're my hero!"_

"Man, that thing was ancient," he chuckled. Enchancas could only be activated by innate magical ability, the first gateway to becoming a master of potions and spells. They were also standard supplies for magic students, usually passed down through families. "No wonder it broke so easily."

He sighed happily, taking her small hand.

"That was all it took to get me stuck on you, Retsuko," he admitted. It had been the middle of his second year at Myst Academy when she'd shown up, the first time he'd felt a different kind of magic flow through him, that had only gotten deeper the longer he'd spent with her. It had taken the rest of the semester for him to work up the courage to ask her out, and he'd been even more of a nervous wreck when she'd said yes.

It had been simple, a picnic at the center of the school maze, watching the harvest moon rise, then they'd tried to see who could name the most constellations. She'd won, of course, being a student of healing magic as she was. Those spells were most powerful when the moon was full, and being able to read the stars was half the battle.

_"Thanks for tonight, Haida," she packed away the remains of their picnic. "It was fun."_

_"Yeah," he started folding the blanket when she pushed the basket in front of him. "Retsuko?"_

_She climbed on top of it, and kissed him. He froze, just for a second, before returning it, hugging her tightly._

_"I don't usually kiss on the first date," he quipped when it ended. She sighed happily, leaning against his chest._

_"Neither do I," she said into his shirt. "But something about this just feels right."_

_He smiled, and hugged her again._

_"It sure does," he whispered into the fur between her ears. "It sure does."_

She squealed with laughter when he pulled her on top of him, their noses touching as he got lost in her eyes, before losing himself in her kiss.

"I love you, Retsuko."


	2. Chapter 2

Haida wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up the barrier, his arms shaking against the force of the blast. He tried to ignore the pain from his wounds, forcing himself to focus on the magic coursing through him. Retsuko was here somewhere, and he wasn't about to let her down.

"You might as well just give up," Ton mocked him. The pig had been the head teacher at the academy, and had done everything in his power to make life hell for the students, until he had suddenly disappeared during Haida's third year. There had been rumors about Ton's obsession with false magic, the practice of draining power from living things to increase one's own abilities. It didn't matter that it was forbidden, or that the end result was corruption and insanity, there were always those who were drawn to it, destined to be destroyed by the very essence they sought.

Haida growled, channeling his anger into the barrier, his ears pinned against his head as blasts of black ice shattered, evaporating when they hit the cracked stone floor. Slowly, he managed to push forward, the mad boar's laughter fading as his enemy approached; the hyena flashed a defiant smirk before blowing his shield apart, sending the latest wave of ice back at its caster. Ton ducked beneath his cape, coughing in the resulting smoke, the scarlet glow fading from his eyes as the angry hyena stalked toward him.

"You know what I can do with this spell," he menaced, his hands glowing a dark violet blue. "Make it easy for yourself and tell me where Retsuko is!"

Ton simply glared at him before spitting at his boots.

"Please, after what you did to me?" he flashed an angry sneer. "You should be happy I just kidnapped her, instead of killing her on the spot!"

He laughed, only for the noise to drown in wet, hacking coughs. Haida stepped back, his eyes widening when he saw the black sludge spattered across that ghostly pale pink face, gagging on the stench of rot. How could he have missed it before?

"It's too late for you," his anger left him, and he let his spell fizzle. All he could feel now was cold, sharp pity. "We tried to warn you, Ton, but you just didn't want to listen."

He shoved the heaving pig aside, his stomach twisting when Ton's head detached from his wasted spine, rolling into the shadows as decaying blood spilled across the floor. That was the fate of anybody who dared to practice false magic, forced to become a walking corpse, a puppet for the darkness.

Haida summoned a ball of green light, his heart dropping to his gut when he saw the bones that littered the hallway, all that remained of those used to fuel his old master's obsession. He shuddered, remembering how Ton had returned to the school during Retsuko's graduation, bringing a violent halt to the ceremony and snatching the red panda from her place on the stage. Every wizard in the auditorium had tried to stop the pig, only to have their spells thrown back at them by the reflector's shield Ton had cast, grinning sadistically as he'd dragged Retsuko away. Haida had barely been able to focus long enough to channel a tracking spell, and even then, it had taken until sunrise to find what had become Ton's home: a fortress that had stood abandoned since the Shade Wars.

He gasped, jumping aside when a cold sensation trailed over his shoulder, going pale when he saw the black fungus worm lurching along the low ceiling. The massive thing was just one of the vile creatures native to the Shade, where all magic had been trapped until a tear in the boarder had allowed it to leak into the outside world. All it took was one bite, and its victim was doomed. He hurried around the next corner, wishing he had the strength for another tracking, but it was taking everything he had just to keep the small flame in his palm from going out.

_I'll find you, Retsuko, _he swore silently, swallowing hard as thought what else might be lurking in the depths of this vile place. _Please, just hold on!_

* * *

Retsuko had never been more grateful for her sharp teeth, the result of a magic accident with her absent-minded cousin, Retsaske. He'd been ordered to develop a fertilizer that helped plants become more resistant to disease; while his first attempt had had no effect on soil, it had proven quite potent in other ways.

She finished gnawing at the rope on her wrists and tossed it away, wishing she had more than the slimy, unforgiving stone wall to lean against. She'd tried for hours to remove the bindings from her legs, but even the limited fire magic she knew hadn't been able to break them.

_What the hell are these things made of?_

She tugged and pulled at them, wincing when they seemed to just tighten further.

_I better stop before my feet fall off._

She shoved out a breath, keeping an eye out for trouble as she let her mind start to wander, biting her lip when it got stuck on the graduation ceremony. She'd only had eyes for one face in the crowd, as she'd stood at the back of the stage with the rest of her small class. She'd made sure to smile and wave to her family, of course, but she'd been overjoyed to see Haida at the end of the third row, chatting with her mother and father like he'd known them for years. She had just been called to receive her diploma when a door beside the stage had been thrown off its hinges, Ton appearing in the midst of the thick black smoke that had flooded in.

_"So sorry to interrupt," the pig said mockingly. "But I'm afraid Retsuko here has something more important to do!"_

He'd thrown out a spell she'd never heard of, a red flash of blinding light accompanied by a piercing ring, leaving most of the room screaming in pain on the floor.

_"Retsuko!" there had never been so much rage in Haida's voice. She could barely get a glimpse of him through the chaos, his eyes glowing white as his clothes flared around him. "Ton, you bastard!"_

_Ton laughed, the floor shaking when he slammed down the butt of his scepter. Haida was thrown off his feet, her scream lost in the cacophony as their old teacher snatched her up like a sack of potatoes._

_"You know what you have to do to get her back," he shouted triumphantly. "But I don't think you can!"_

_He cast another wave of light and ringing, this one too much for her to take._

She didn't know how long had passed since she'd woken up in this dungeon cell, tied up and alone. All she'd been able to do was wonder what had happened, why Ton had come out of nowhere to capture her, and what had he meant when he'd said that to Haida?

Her blood went cold when echoing footsteps stopped at the door, looking around desperately for an alcove as she heard the lock disengage. She was hardly a match for Ton under normal circumstances, she'd be killed if he came at her like this!

_Oh no, oh no, oh no!_

She threw up her arms when the door creaked loudly opened, peeking through her fingers when several seconds passed without some kind of attack. She gasped when she saw Haida, seeing the fading white sparks of a lock enchantment in his palm, one of the first spells combatant magic users like him learned.

"Retsuko!" he ran to her side, dropping to his knees and nearly yanking her into his arms. "Oh, thank God I found you!"

"Haida," she clung to him, the fear she'd tried so hard to bury coming to the surface. He held her tightly, kissing her deeply.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop him," he set her down, his arms shaking as he called on his strength spell. "I'm sorry you had to get mixed up in this."

It seemed to take everything he had left to break the rope around her legs, he could barely hold himself up as he threw it aside.

"I'm just glad…you're not…hurt…"

He groaned, collapsing on the floor. It didn't surprise her that he was exhausted, after everything he must have had to do to find her. She hurried to the door and shut it again, to make sure nothing could surprise them as he slept; she came back, looking him over carefully as she sat beside him.

The suit he'd worn to her graduation was nearly in tatters, stained with blood, mold and she didn't want to know what else. He was covered in cobwebs and dust, and a noxious odor clung to him, one she had come to know all too well. The most she could do was heal the worst of his wounds, smiling as she thought of all the times she'd had to do it in the past. She laid down when she finished, curling up against him and pulling his arm over herself, burying her face in his jacket.

"I love you, Haida," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you so much."

* * *

_I'm going to try and make it a thing to have at least one kiss per chapter, since a kiss animation on DA is what inspired this whole thing in the first place._


	3. Chapter 3

Retsuko had spent most of the day organizing her potion lab, a small room connected to the kitchen. Their house was on the outskirts of the city, a weekend project Haida had shared with his father and uncles since he was a kid, built on land his family had owned for generations. It had still needed some work when they'd moved in, but nothing the two of them hadn't been able to finish themselves.

_I finally have my own place, _she thought excitedly. She'd grown up in an apartment at the heart of the city, hardly big enough for her parents, let alone their three children. Both of her sisters had already married, and the oldest was getting ready to welcome twins. Retsuko had been the only one to inherit their grandmother's magic, at least to the point it could be further developed by attending the academy. The extent of her second older sister's power was faint premonitions and an incredible green thumb, while the eldest had none at all. Myst was the first time Retsuko had been away from home, that she'd had to worry about more than waiting in line for the bathroom or having clothes vanish, only to reappear a week later in Ayame or Kaori's laundry.

Adjusting to the dorms had been difficult, but at least she'd been able to make friends with her roommates. Fenneko, a sarcastic kit fox, was a tracker and combatant, while Tsunoda, a peppy gazelle, was a dedicated healer; the only thing they'd had in common was their obsession with social media, even if it went in completely different directions. Retsuko herself had studied tracking as well as healing, and had a reputation for being able to get along with just about anyone.

Her ears perked when the kitchen door opened, and she went out to see Haida standing at the sink, dressed in his old blue sweats and a white T-shirt. He'd been an avid boxer for years, and still spent at least an hour a day training.

"You look busy," he smiled at her, then took a long drag from a glass of water. "Anything I can help with?"

She came over and took his wrist, giggling as she pulled him toward her lab.

"You'll have to build me a bigger stepladder," she joked. "I still can't reach the top shelves!"

He chuckled.

"I have something better than a stepladder," he grabbed under her arms, turned her around and picked her up, blowing at her tail when it fell on his nose. "How's this?"

She laughed, trying not to squirm as his hold tickled her. It didn't take them long to finish, and he kept his hands on her sides when he set her down on the edge of her desk, a light blush on his cheeks as he smiled dreamily at her.

"You're so cute when you're happy," he hugged her and kissed her forehead. She snatched his collar to keep him from pulling back, jamming her mouth against his. His hands twitched, his claws digging in as he grabbed her hips, tugging her against him. She moaned into the kiss, dragging her fingers through his rough fur, panting when he ended it to catch his breath.

"Our bed finally showed up this morning," he smirked at her. "Want to go test it out?"

She licked her lips, nosing her way under his chin, feeling his pulse thrum against her heated cheek.

"Only if we have some fun first," she giggled again, keeping tight hold of his shirt when he picked her up, this time so she reclined in his arms. "Unpacking is so boring!"

He snorted.

"Got that right!"

* * *

Retsuko loved the peace that came with leaving the city, able to hear the sounds of nature she'd hardly known growing up. What made it even better was that she got to experience it all with her favorite person by her side. She curled up on Haida's chest, pulling the blanket further up to help block the chill from the open window. All she knew was that it was late, the stars twinkling in the dark around a quarter moon. He was still asleep, his breathing deep and even, his nose twitching as he made an odd snuffling noise she found adorable.

Their bedroom was still fairly plain, since they'd been more focused on the last repairs than decorating the past few weeks. She couldn't wait to make this house really start to feel like home.

_We can play all we want out here!_

She turned to the corner, where her microphone sat on a small table next to his bass. Music had been the first thing they'd truly bonded over, after he'd found her death metal screaming her problems away deep in the forest outside the school grounds. She wasn't sure what had drawn her to the genre, since she usually avoided anything that aggressive, but it had turned out to be the perfect stress relief. Haida was more into punk rock, though he was much better at playing it than singing it.

She chuckled to herself, remembering how mortified she had been when he'd first found her like that.

_"Haida?!" she dropped her mic when she saw him, his jaw slack. "What are you doing out here?!"_

_He blinked, then shook his head._

_"I-I was taking a walk, and I saw you come out here," he scratched the back of his head. "I would've left you alone, but then I heard you screaming like that, and I had to make sure you were okay."_

_She blushed. He'd really been worried about her? He laughed a bit._

_"But hey, now that I know nothing's wrong, I can tell you how awesome it sounds!"_

She blushed, burying her face deeper in his fur, giggling when she heard his tail thumping happily on the mattress.

"I thought you were asleep," her words were muffled slightly. He scratched lightly at the base of her tail.

"That makes two of us," he grunted a bit as he sat up, keeping her in his lap. "What's going on?"

She shrugged, curling closer to him.

"Just thinking about everything we'll be able to do out here, all the freedom we have now," her smile shook a bit. "It's a bit overwhelming, honestly."

"I know what you mean," he leaned back against the plain headboard and looked around. "I still can't believe all this is really ours."

Retsuko pressed closer to him, dragging a hand slowly down his chest, looking up when he gripped it firmly in his.

"Listen, Retsuko, there's something I've wanted to talk to you about, but this would be a pretty weird time…"

She pushed back, looking at him.

"What is it?"

He blushed, then shook his head.

"Come on, we should at least wait until morning."

"Oh, but Haida," she pulled one of the tricks Tsunoda had taught her: angling her head so her eyes sparkled in what little light there was, pitching her voice so she sounded deviously innocent. "Pretty please?"

She watched his blush deepen, giggling to herself as he stuttered, then finally sighed in resignation.

"Fine, but you can't get mad if you think it's a dream in the morning."

He got out of bed, setting her on the edge of the mattress before going to the tall dresser in the corner. Rummaging around for a moment in the top drawer before coming back to her, kneeling with a hand behind him.

"We've known each other for years, Retsuko," he started, his own eyes shining as he gazed at her. "And I still ask myself sometimes how I managed to find a girl like you. I haven't figured that out yet, but there's one thing I know for sure."

He cleared his throat, then swallowed.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with someone," he continued. "I want to have kids, be a family, I want it all, and I know exactly who I want that person to be."

He brought out his hand, revealing the silver and opal ring she'd spent weeks mooning over before accepting she'd never be able to afford it. She gasped, feeling tears well up as she fought the urge to yell out her answer that very second.

"I want you, Retsuko, I want to do all of that with you, so I have to ask," he paused again, like he was working up the courage. "Will you marry me?"

She pressed her hands to her mouth, the tears spilling over as she nodded.

"Oh, Haida!" she sniffled. "Yes!"

She could hardly hold still as he slid the ring on her finger, returning it elatedly when he picked her up and kissed her.


	4. Chapter 4

Retsuko yawned deeply, stumbling back against the kitchen counter. She'd finally accepted that she'd been using her power too often, as Haida had warned her several times the past few weeks. The summer had been burning and arid, destroying crops throughout Japan, the country's leaders turning to those versed in healing magic for help, as many of the spells worked on plants as they did on animals. She and Haida had returned from their honeymoon, a cruise in the South China Sea, toward the end of the disaster, and she wondered if that had been the reason she'd pushed herself so hard.

Haida and the other combatants had also been called in, once it had been determined the drought was an attack by a sect of Master Ton's followers, who had combined their magic in order to affect the weather itself. They had also stooped so low as to poison the water or soil in other areas, in order to spread their enemies out as thinly as possible. Of course, Haida had made sure she was safe before answering his summons to help. Her own diminished magic made it nearly impossible for hostile trackers to locate her, as long as she didn't stray too far from the charm Haida had crafted for her.

It had taken days to get used to the rough leather cord, threaded with a small wooden chest her grandfather had carved for her when she was little for her baby teeth. Now, it was filled with the ingredients for the most powerful spell her husband knew: springs of dried white heather for protection, mixed with powdered aster for his love. The interior of the little charm had been painted with their blood, creating an unseen field about her when it had been closed, hiding her from tracking spells until she opened it again. She took comfort in the quiet buzzing of that field, audible only to the two of them, proof he was still alive.

_I hope he comes back soon, _she thought, standing on her toes to look out the window. He'd booked an extended-stay hotel room on the far side of Tokyo, warning her to be careful when she went out. He'd then kissed her in that way he so rarely did, that left her walking on air for days. But as it always happened, the feeling had worn off, and she wanted nothing more than to have him by her side again.

She grabbed the freshly-washed kettle from the drying mat by the sink and filled it, turning on the burner as she set it on the stove. Her mother had always made ginger tea and vegetable broth when she or her sisters weren't feeling well, and even now, she found it soothing.

_I wonder what he's doing right now, _she grabbed a small pot from the cupboard and poured in the broth, barely catching herself on the counter when she yawned again. It was bad enough, recovering from magic depletion, but she'd been up every night worrying about him and the other combatants, wishing she could be there to help, even if it was just to heal their wounds. Not that she could do even that much at the moment.

_I hope you're safe, everyone, _she went to the window after turning on the other burner, pushing the curtain aside just enough to see the street. The sun was setting, the city lighting up, the traffic heavy and loud as always. It was as though no war were happening at all. _I wish…_

* * *

Haida's fist tightened as he stared across the swath of land separating them from the city, just far enough that the bustle and noise couldn't reach them. He wondered if repairs were still being done on that hotel, his stomach twisting as he thought about the battle.

The late Master Ton's neophytes had launched a full-scale attack out of the blue, and only the quick reflexes of the best combatants had been enough to keep their camp from being obliterated by the onslaught. That much false magic was nearly impossible to defeat, and had it not been for a small slip-up by their leader, Ton's right hand Komiya, Haida was sure the insane faction would have won. The meerkat had overestimated his own power, leaving his wasted body to fall where it had stood, his poisoned blood spilling across the land and further defying it. That had been the most difficult part, purifying the noxious sludge left by those who hadn't retreated, once the tides had turned.

His instincts flared at movement behind him, and he turned with a fiery blow ready to deliver, only for the spell to die at his claw tips when he saw who it was.

"Retsuko," he hurried to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed as she sat up, smiling fondly as she adorably rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"What happened?" she murmured. "Is everything okay?"

He kissed her forehead, holding her close.

"Everything's fine," he assured quietly. "I'm just not tired."

"Don't lie to me," she pushed against his chest, staring up at him. "You were half dead when Ookami and Gori brought you home, and it's only been a few weeks!"

"I know," he hugged her again. "But I spent the first week sleeping, remember? I got a lot more rest than you were able to."

He kissed her in that way he knew she loved, his heart pounding when she clung desperately to him in response.

"I'm just glad Washimi was there to check up on you," the reason he'd chosen that hotel was that she'd already been staying there while her own apartment building had been treated for pests. She'd found Retsuko passed out on the floor, the broth boiling over as the kettle shrieked, and had immediately called for an ambulance. He thanked whatever god was listening that it hadn't been anything serious, as she'd been released long before he had woken up.

"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," he mused quietly. He pulled down the thick blanket, resting a hand over hers on the small bulge of her stomach. They'd both been so distracted by the war that they hadn't even noticed.

"But we're safe now, Haida," she took his hand in both of hers. "Thanks to you and everyone else. We'll never have to worry about Ton or his followers again."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "But that doesn't mean the world is safe, we're always going to be called out to do things normal people can't handle."

"I know," she rubbed circles into his fur with her thumb. "But we'll be able to do it together, just like we planned."

He chuckled, climbing into bed and pulling her in his lap, trying not to laugh as her snuggling tickled him.

"That's all I've ever wanted, Retsuko," he said, holding her as he gazed at the ceiling. "To have you and our friends right by my side, no matter how crazy things get."

She sighed contentedly, kissing a fresh scar on his shoulder, the remnants of the attack that had almost killed him.

"And that's how it's always going to be, Haida," she answered. "I promise."

* * *

_Yes, I know, this ending is a huge cop-out, but I got an idea for a much longer story, and I'm trying to get better at finishing current ones before starting new ones. I don't know when I'll be able to start posting The Diamond Standard, but I promise I won't skip the good stuff this time!_


End file.
